Tips to Help Your Dog Enjoy the Summer

There's no reason your dog can't stay happy and safe all summer long. Here are some tips to help you both cope.

1. Identification - You're both likely to be outside more and may be traveling to strange places. Does your dog have a microchip (see http://www.toybreeds.com/microchips.htm) or a tattoo or at least a collar with your name and phone number on it?

No one expects to lose their dog but it happens to thousands of owners each year. Increase the chances of being reunited with your canine companion back by ensuring he has identification. And, if you have a microchip (I highly recommend it), make sure your service has your current contact information.

2. Temporary placement - Start looking NOW for a pet sitter, kennel or boarding facility if you're going to be on vacation this summer without your dog. Commercial facilities and pet sitters get booked quickly. Don't wait any longer to start looking for a place.

At the same time, get all his medical records in order. Commercial boarding places will want to know he's had his shots and is dewormed. If you have pet insurance, be sure to provide the care givers with the information they need in case your dog gets ill.

3. Fleas and Ticks - Protect your dog from both these menaces with regular medication. I use Frontline on my dog but other owners like Revolution or Kiltix. Ask your vet for a recommendation. You can buy medication from the vet or get it through an Internet pet pharmacy. It's much, much, much easier and better for your dog to prevent fleas and ticks than try to treat them once your dog has been infected.

4. Protect him from cables - Those electric cords of mowers, trimmers, and other gardening tools can easily tempt a dog who loves to chew. Keep your dog indoors or contained in a safe area (such as crate) when you're working outdoors.

5. Protect him from the grill - Don't let your dog run lose around a barbecue grill. He could bump into it and be severely burned by falling ashes or hot scraps of food. NEVER give him meat hot off the grill. Let it cool a bit. After you clean your grill, keep the hot ashes in a place he can't reach while you're letting them cool.

6. Keep him away from the plants - It's a good idea to use organic yard and garden products for your dog's sake as well as the environment's. At a minimum, keep products out of his reach and keep him away from the garden or lawn while they're being treated with any chemicals. While you're outside and he's inside, also check your fence for holes that he could crawl out.

7. Keep up his grooming - Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean your dog's needs go on holiday. Comb and brush him daily especially if he's outside more than usual. This also is a good way to examine him for injuries or insect infestation. Better to treat problems when they're minor rather than let them grow into major problems.

8. Buy or create a pet first aid kit - If your dog is going with you on holiday, be sure to have first aid materials for him. For less than $30, you can an excellent kit from Medi+Pet First Aid Kits.

If your vacation will be on a boat with him, be sure to look at the Dog Life Jacket at Product of the Month.

9. Get him ready for the trip - If you're going to take him to a place where he'll get more exercise or be outdoors more than usual, get him prepared. Start increasing his daily walks either in duration or frequency. Your dog needs to build his stamina just as you do before undertaking major physical exertion.

Take him out for brief periods to strange places with unfamiliar people and sites before you leave your hometown. Expose him to a new experience but then take him back to the safety and comfort of his regular home. You'll gradually increase his ability to remain calm and collected in new settings.

10. Travel with some of his favorite things - If you're going by your own vehicle, you can take his bed and favorite toy as well as his regular food. If you can, take the water he usually drinks. Many dogs are sensitive to minerals in water and his stomach could be upset by unfamiliar water.

If you can't take much with you, either something he normally sleeps with or a favorite toy is good. After all, you're the most important element in your dog's happiness. As you as you're there, he'll be fine.

Have a great summer and a wonderful vacation.